Throughout Julius Caesar, by Shakespeare, Julius Caesar has an immense arrogance that clouds his wisdom and impairs his ability to successfully rule Rome. He believes himself to be better and wiser than those around him, which is clear every time he speaks. One key example of his hubris is how he speaks of himself in the third person, which empathizes how he wants to show how powerful he is to the Roman people. Also, he does not fear death at all, because he believes himself to be invincible, even going so far as to think he is "More terrible" (2.2.50) than death itself. Shakespeare includes this trait of arrogance in Caesar because he shows how pride inevitably leads to his downfall. While he initially is happy to appease Calphurnia and stay home after the omen of her dream, as soon as there is a witness to his cowardice, he changes his mind, saying he is "ashamed" (2.2.111) that he succumbed to her fear. As soon as he feels his reputation of being strong and fearless is in jeopardy, he does whatever he can, however reckless, to reclaim his pride.
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